Bridging The Gap

Samuel was a prophet who saw many things take place, most notably, the up and down life of King Saul, and the adventures of a young man names David. As we end the series today, we see the final days of the life of Saul, and we can't help but reflect on a life that could have been so much more than it turned out to be.

In First Samuel chapter thirty, we see David do that very thing. This is Bridging the Gap with pastor Lloyd Pulley. If you find yourself in a precarious position, will you seek God's wisdom, or will you go it alone? 

We've been studying First Samuel. Today we come to chapter twenty-nine.  It's a low time in the life of David. When you would think things couldn't get any worse - they get worse. That's not only David's story, it is everyone's story at some point. And what David did at that time will prove to be very instructive for us - in getting through hard times.

Today, as we continue our series in First Samuel, we see a desperate Saul consulting with a medium, despite the fact he had effectively banned them from the land. It's a great example of the hole we can dig ourselves in when we turn away from God and His wisdom.

Right on the heels of success, came a season where David gave up trusting in God and took matters into his own hands.  We'll read about it in First Samuel twenty-seven today on Bridging the Gap. Pastor Lloyd Pulley will show us today where David went wrong, so we can avoid this sort of faith crisis ourselves

Today on Bridging the Gap, Pastor Lloyd Pulley continues his study of First Samuel, where we find a King in training.  David  was no stranger to suffering, and how he handles his suffering serves as an example for us on how to handle the ups and downs of life. 

If you've been with us recently, you may recall how David beautifully handled his conflict with Saul.  He had the perfect opportunity to retaliate against the man who was trying to kill him, but David chose the higher road. Now today, we find him in a similar circumstance, but this time he tries to take matters into his own hands. Rather than getting all worked up, and seek vengeance, there's a much better course of action to take.

We are studying First Samuel right now and today David encounters a foolish man named Nabal. Ironically, the name Nabal means, "Fool".   We will see how David deals with a fool, and how we should too.

As we continue to study the life of David today on Bridging the Gap, pastor Lloyd Pulley will contrast David with the man stalking him - Saul. Both men were sinners, to be sure, just as all of us are. But David had something Saul didn't have - a repentant heart.

We're currently studying the book of First Samuel, and as we pick things up in chapter twenty-four, David is on the run from Saul.  Imagine having three thousand hunters determined to find and kill you!  David and his six hundred men are facing that terror, but all of a sudden the tables turn, and an opportunity presents itself for David to kill Saul.

Pastor Lloyd Pulley is currently leading us through the Old Testament book of First Samuel, and today we continue in chapters twenty-two and twenty three.  I'm sure you've heard this statement many times: "Without faith it is impossible to please God".  We all acknowledge the truth of that statement, but how often do we face adversity and forget to call on our faith in God to get us through? Living by faith is what it's all about! 

As you may recall, David knows he's going to be the next King of Israel, and he's running for his life. But all the way through this trial, God is reminding David that He's going to keep His promises and that He's with him and for him.  Here on this edition of Bridging the Gap we will take a look at the suffering David experienced in his life, and Pastor Lloyd will relate this to what we are bound to experience as well.

 David was a man after God's own heart - but we'll see that there was a time in his life where he had a heart of deception. Just goes to show even the greatest of God's servants are still sinners on the inside, but God can use any sinner to accomplish His will.

Whether we see it or not, God protects His children and restrains evil. We'll see a good example of that today on Bridging the Gap as we open First Samuel nineteen. If you'll recall, Saul is envious of David and wants to kill him.  But the Lord restrains Saul from harming David.  Just as He protected David, He can protect you too.

Today on Bridging the Gap - Pastor Lloyd Pulley  will  show us what God considers a true friend to be .  Good to be with you today.  Lloyd is about to continue his verse by verse study in the book of First Samuel and we'll consider the value of godly friends.  If asked to name one of the all time great friendships in the Bible, what names come to mind?  Many of us would say Jonathan and David, and rightly so.   Let's take a closer look at these friends in First Samuel chapter eighteen.

 In thinking back to our Sunday School days, there were certain biblical stories our teachers would key in on... Jonah being swallowed by the Great Fish, Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, Noah and the flood, and certainly David and Goliath top the list.  Here on our Thursday broadcast, Lloyd will highlight this timeless story which underscores the greatness and faithfulness of God.  Each of us will face giants in our lives, and we're in a fierce battle!  It's important to know how to handle it with faith.

Today on Bridging the Gap pastor Lloyd Pulley will take a look at the familiar story of David and Goliath. Lloyd will show us that this story is not about building up our courage, but rather it is a story about honoring God whom we love and serve -- even in the face of trouble. And there are some noteworthy aspects of spiritual warfare to observe too.  Let's head over to First Samuel seventeen and get started.

Today we'll return to a story probably familiar to most of you.  When God was looking for the second king of Israel, a 16 year old shepherd boy caught His eye.   Most in that day I'm sure thought this was a poor choice, but God saw a young man who was after His own heart.

Today on Bridging the Gap, Pastor Lloyd Pulley  will show us how to do that and maintain our sanity in the Christian life, even during those periods when it's easy to become frustrated.  We are traveling through First Samuel at the present time, and here on our Monday edition we'll be looking at chapter sixteen.  It's here that the Lord anoints David to be King over Israel. 

This is a very special day for Christians. It's the day we remember the painful death Jesus suffered on the cross of Calvary; a death He willing accepted in order to save us from an eternity separated from Him. It truly was the greatest act of love ever performed in all of human history.